In the Hood
by Now More So
Summary: A modern day version of Red Riding Hood, set in the middle of London. Please R&R its for my English A-Level!


In the Hood.

"I'm serious this time Red. I don't want Social Services knocking on my front door again," came the wheezy old voice from the living room,  
>Red poked her head round the door that led into the living room from the kitchen,<br>"Of course Gramma," she said, with her cutest smile. The old lady would lap it up,  
>"That's my girl," Gramma replied, her expression softening. She turned back to the television.<br>Red snorted quietly to herself. She had been raised from birth by her Gramma. Her mother had always been sickly and didn't survive childbirth. Red often felt guilty about it. Her father, being a semi-professional wrestler, travelled the country with his wrestling team, often wrestling in unsavoury, underground locations. As such, he didn't have time for his daughter. So she had been raised by her Gramma, who lived in a flat in Hackney. Despite raising her granddaughter, Gramma didn't really know what Red got up to.  
>Red was a member of a gang. This was rare, as she was small and skinny for a fifteen year old. She wasn't physically imposing, like how a gang member ought to be. Her talents lay elsewhere. A cute smile, a flick of her hair and BANG! That was one less rival member to worry about. She had only ever been caught fighting once and it had meant a visit from Social Services. Not wanting her Gramma to know about her gang involvement, she had passed it off as a school dispute. her gang was also where she got the nickname Red. Every hoodie she owned was a sanguine colour. Even her Gramma had started calling her Red.<br>Pocketing a twenty pound note from the secret stash Gramma had stored on top of the cupboards that she thought Red knew nothing about, Red slipped out the front door.  
>Her gang usually hung out around a park, if it could still be called a park. It stank of booze and cigarette smoke and there was no longer any play equipment. It was here she made a beeline for as soon as she was able. And after she had filched a packet of cigarettes from the corner shop of course,<br>"Hey hey Foxie!" Red called, as she walked into the park, casually lighting a cigarette.  
>Foxie was the ringleader of her gang. There was six of them, including herself and Foxie. The other four were Dizzy, Tunes, Info and Wired.<br>Foxie smiled when he saw who it was,  
>"Lil Red! What up?"<br>"Nothin'," Red replied nonchalantly, "What's new here?"  
>None of them needed to ask what she was talking about. Wolf and his gang patrolled their turf at the other end of the park and the two rivals were constantly at war with one another. Normally it was just a few scuffles but one time a boy in Red's gang, whose name she had forgotton, was stabbed in the side. He died in hospital,<br>"Wolf wants to speak with ya," Foxie said evenly,  
>Red stared at him, her cigarette falling to the floor,<br>"Why?" she demanded,  
>Foxie shrugged,<br>"I don't know but he says if you do what he says he's gonna clear off and we can have this turf to ourselves. So you're gonna go over there and do whatever he wants you to do, ya hear me?"  
>Foxie was nice but he had a brutal side to him as well,<br>"Sure... but Foxie...,"  
>"But what?" Foxie asked, eyebrow raised. He didn't raise his voice but it still sounded like a threat. Red couldn't really afford to anger him. He was the only real friend she had,<br>"Nothing. It's fine," she mumbled, "When do I have to meet Wolf and where?"  
>"Ten minutes from now. By the old swings,"<br>Red nodded and headed off to what was left of the play area.  
>She had to wait a while but Wolf eventually showed up. He was a buff boy who worked out a lot. He had a blonde crew-cut and a permanant scowl that could make milk go sour. Red didn't know his age. Nor did she really care. He was the Enemy. The Enemy needed to be taught his place,<br>"Hey Red," Wolf said when he saw her watching him,  
>Red nodded warily,<br>"Got somthin' to tell ya," Wolf said slowly, "Got a... proposition for ya, if you'd be so kind as to hear me out,"  
>Red frowned and waved at him to go on,<br>"Well...," Wolf began, nervously it seemed to Red, "During our many a fight with my gang and yours I began to realise something. Your red hooded tops, that fiery look in your eyes before you crippled one of my guys... It appealed to me. I quite like you, Lil' Red. So here's my offer. Ditch that loser Foxie and join MY gang. Then we can go do anything we please. If not... you'll regret it,"  
>Red looked at the hand Wolf was strecthing out to her. He fancied her? HE had the nerve to FANCY her? And he called Foxie a loser and nobody slagged HER friends off. She knew her answer.<br>She spat on the floor at his feet,  
>"Your loss," Wolf shrugged. He winked at her, turned his back and walked away,<br>"What did he want?" Foxie demanded when Red returned to her gang five minutes later,  
>"He wanted me to join his gang and become his girlfriend,"<br>"What did you say?" Tunes demanded in his thick accent,  
>"I spat at him,"<br>The gang laughed,  
>"Listen Red. I think you oughta go home for today. Last thing we need is another fight, you getting caught and put into care by those arseholes, Social Services," Foxie said.<br>Red nodded, still slightly dazed at what Wolf had said. She headed home, not really concentrating on what she was doing.  
>As soon as she stepped through her front door she knew something was wrong. There was a lot of shouting coming from the front room and the sound of her Gramma crying out.<br>Red sprinted into the front room and nearly had a heart attack. Wolf was standing with a small handgun pressed against her Gramma's temple. Gramma was sitting with her face screwed up in fear,  
>"Warned ya Red. Shoulda taken my offer when you had the chance. Now little old granny here is going to pay the price,"<br>He smiled vindictively at the look on Red's face. Then the front door banged open again. Wolf, Red and Gramma all froze looking thoroughly confused,  
>"Where's my girl?" came the deep bellow from the hall. Red gasped. It was her father,<br>"In here Pop!" Red called out. Wolf had frozen, a snarl on his face.  
>Red's father, stage-name The WoodCutter due to his bizzare upbringing in a lumber factory dormitory, came walking through the door from the hall with a smile on his face. Then he stopped and the smile became a frown,<br>"Red... What's going on?" he said slowly, looking from her to Wolf to Gramma,  
>"He's going to kill Gramma because I wouldn't go out with him!" she cried, "Stop him!"<br>Her father looked straight at Wolf who backed away instantly, dropping the gun. Then, to Red's astonishment, he began to blubber,  
>"Don't hurt me please! I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I wasn't going to hurt anyone I swear,"<br>Her father walked straight towards him, picking up the gun on the way. He grabbed Wolf, twisted his arm behind his back. Then he told Red to phone the police. She hastened to obey.  
>The police arrived inside of ten minutes. They handcuffed Wolf and put him in the back of a police car. He didn't struggle,<br>"Thanks," said the police officer, mopping his brow, "That one causes all kinds of trouble,"  
>"Happy to be of help," Red's father replied graciously. They watched as Wolf was driven away.<br>_He's gone, _Red thought. She couldn't wait to tell Foxie.

A/N:  
>I need you to review this please! not being needy but i need some initial feedback before I give it in to my English Tutor. BTW! we did have to write a Red Riding Hood based story in case you're wondering at the obvious references.<p>

UBER THANKS!  
>Aaron<p> 


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